An RX-7 Spirit-R... as an investment??? Please advise!

[Pipps]

Hi Gents

Hope you don\'t mind a newcomer jumping in, to ask a question such as this:

I have long been an avid admirer of the RX-7. I have recently found myself living in a rural part of England again, and am now in need of a car. I am hoping to only purchase a car which might hold its price over the next 2-3 years, or perhaps even serve as a small investment.

A ridiculous notion, I suppose this must be? But may I ask, what if I were to ever source and import a 2002 Spirit-R (A), in Titanium Grey, and keep it garaged and driven only once or twice a week to remain with low mileage?

On this basis, do you think that an RX-7 might possibly be considered to be a potential investment?

I know you guys love the RX-7, so you will be trying hard not to be too biased, but I know you guys are also experts, so I would very much value your advice.

Thanks for your help.

Pipps

[BlitzBoy]

you will have to till 2012 before you can legally import a 2002 model spirit r methinks dude

[Red and Single]

hopefully by then the exchange rate will have recovered !!

[Ada7]

You could import it but you wouldn\'t be able to get it on the road till 2012.
Could work but i\'d wait till the exchange rate is better.
It sound\'s like you\'ve already found a car for sale though.

Adam

[Pipps]

I was not aware of any rules regarding the age of a car that I am entitled to import. I had previously seen a particular Spirit R available - it was of course a 2002 model - and the titanium gray colour interests me because it was only available on the Spirit R.

Allow me to ask, what is the youngest age of a car that I would be eligible to import into the UK?

[Ada7]

Its not the age of the car that really matter but to be able to register an imported car on the road it has to be 10 years old. The spirit R\'s that are in the country already (3 i think it is) were imported before the rules were changed.
You could bring in a car thats less than 10 years and use it on the track no problem but you wouldn\'t be able to ge it MOT\'d or taxed for the road.

Adam

[BlitzBoy]

any car ten years or older dude

[kevint]

If you want to register an import that is less than 10 years old then you have to prove to the DVLA it meets European type approval standards, UK construction and use, and road vehicle lighting legislation before they will allow you to register - no one has done this, since the law change, for an RX-7 - it will more than likely fail on emissions tests.

Best to either import something over 10 years old or buy a newer one already registered here.  Either way buy because you love the car but not as an investment.

Kevin

[Nik da Greek]

I think to answer the second part of your question (cos i know \'kall about importificating cars lol), there\'s no question in my mind that all FD RX-7s will be classic cars one day, let alone Spirit Rs:yes. They have all the neccessary criteria; very rare (even considering the numerous imports in recent years); very expensive at the time they were new compared to competitors; unique selling points galore (rotary engine, first mass-production sequential twin turbo etc); and they are gonna be even more very rare because they\'re still expensive to rebuild but cheap to buy, so if one goes pop it\'s as likely to get broken for bits as it is to be rebuilt...

....only question is, how long do you wanna wait for it to be recognised as a classic? Give it fifty years, you\'ll be able to name your price! :3Confused

I guess the question of whether the ultimate expression of such a focussed drivers\' car as the Spirit R desreves to be thought of as nothing more than an investment is an ethical conundrum for another day

[Hi RX7]

If you really like the RX7 I would like to suggest the following which I have done. Buy as late a model as you can find in this country, throw thousands and thousands of pounds at it getting new suspension and polybushes plus an engine re-build then go out and waste loads of petrol enjoying the car. I think you could land up spending a lot more money and putting yourself through a lot of hassle getting a very late model imported only to find that you can\'t re-coup your outlay

[Clarky]

I just wonder how long it will be untill the FD is classed as a Classic, or a least a very rare car?  there are so many being broken up for spares, and how many are written off in accidents? it does seem to be the trend if the engine fails, break it up.
There will be plenty of spares about, but not so many complete running cars.
But of course the question is how many are left now? they are getting fewer by the day.
Would like to think it maybe a classic in the next 10 years, if this trend continues.

[Nik da Greek]

A good, unadulterated twin tubby will be even more rare if you also consider how many get converted to single turbos, v8s etc...

[Ada7]

Well that then begs the question, which will be worth more, standard or modified??
On this point i think it\'ll be the standard cars, unless the car has some proven race history and not just RWYB meets or up and down the local duel carrage way

Adam

[Nik da Greek]

Most cars that make classic status are wanted as standard as possible by the sort of people that "invest" in them. Gotta feel that modding a genuine Spirit R is something of an act of vandalsim anyway, isn\'t it?

[chrisJDM]

i know you said you cant register a import on the road unless its over 10 years old, but there are loads of imports that are less then 10 years old.  What about the new nissan gtr? and the civic fd2? a mate of mine has one of them, its only about 6 months old